5 Fun Activities For Phonics Small Groups

Teaching literacy through phonics small groups remains one of the most effective ways for young learners to develop foundational reading skills. However, making phonics instruction engaging rather than repetitive can significantly impact your students’ learning outcomes. Small-group instruction is beautiful because it can be tailored to individual student needs. Integrating data-driven literacy practices into your teaching plans makes phonics small groups a powerful tool for differentiation and educational equity.

This post provides fun and effective phonics activities for small-group settings that align with the Science of Reading principles. Each activity supports systematic, sequential, and explicit instruction with opportunities for practice and differentiation.

Why Phonics Small Groups Matters

Before we dive into the activities, it’s worth revisiting why phonics small-groups are such a powerful technique. Dr. Stephanie Stollar, creator of the Reading Science Academy, emphasizes the importance of “teaching reading the first time around in a way that’s lined up to student needs—not over their heads or teaching something they already know.” Phonics small groups allow this kind of instruction precision by addressing students’ skill-specific needs based on universal screening or diagnostic data.

Research backs this up. Valiandes (2015) found that students in differentiated phonics small groups in instruction settings made more progress than those in traditional whole-class instruction environments. This approach also offers additional practice opportunities and immediate feedback, critical for mastering essential literacy skills.

Phonics Small Groups Activities

1. Decodable Stories for Fluency and Comprehension in Phonics Small Groups

Decodable stories are a fantastic resource to include in small groups. Phonics passages bring together all the skills your students need to master specific spelling patterns in one easy-to-follow format. These Decodable passage lessons require minimal teacher prep, freeing up your time for one-on-one attention.

How It Works:

• Each decodable passage focuses on a target phonics pattern. Students practice reading the text aloud multiple times to hear and internalize the sounds.
• After reading, students highlight words with the focus sound in the passage, improving their ability to recognize language patterns.
• Next, they write the highlighted words into a cloze activity, reinforcing both phonics patterns and comprehension skills.
• To conclude the activity, students draw a picture based on the story’s content, solidifying their understanding.

This structured yet interactive task develops fluency, comprehension, and a bit of creativity!

2. Magnetic Letters or Tiles for Interactive Word Building In Phonics Small Groups

Bring in some hands-on fun with magnetic letters or letter tiles. Set up small groups with a pile of magnetic letters and a cookie sheet, assigning each group a specific word pattern such as CVC words, blends, or silent e pattern words

How It Works:

• Students create as many words as possible using the given word pattern.
• After creating words, ask students to read each one aloud and write them down saying the sounds as they write the letters.
• Award points or celebrate the words with the most sounds to foster friendly competition. Before building or writing the word, draw a line for each sound, not each letter. This fosters proper segmenting and the alphabetic principle.

This activity supports decoding skills, phonics reinforcement, and gamified learning for engagement.

3. Sensory Activities with Shaving Cream, Sand, or Beads.

There’s nothing better than watching students light up when learning feels more like play. Sensory writing activities are an excellent way to add a tactile element to phonics practice.

How It Works:

• For shaving cream, squirt a small amount onto a desk or table. Students spread it out and use their fingers to write letters or words.
• For sand, fill shallow trays and have students trace words using their fingers.
• Optional for sensory differences: Use small beads in a tray, making sure students say the sounds as they write the words.

These activities build muscle memory for letter formation while keeping students actively engaged.

4. Games that add the multisensory component of writing

Writing is a powerful learning tool, and writing in a game makes it fun and powerfully appealing for children developing phonics skills.

How It Works:

• Students read the sentence word or phrase and move or place their game piece.
• Then they cover the writing and write the word. They say the sounds as they form the letters.

This activity combines auditory, visual, and kinesthetic inputs—creating a multisensory learning experience.

5. Worksheets made into Small Groups Phonics Centers for Independent Practice

Phonics centers are a great way to reinforce concepts while honing independence. You can provide skill-specific small-group activities without extensive prep time with ready-made resources like the first-grade intervention worksheets. You can easily make them into centers by adding simple manipulatives like markers, dice, and counters.

For example:

• Create a center focusing on word sorts for a particular phonics pattern.
• Laminate and cut and place magnets or Velcro on the pieces to make a quick center.

Phonics small groups centers also allow other students to work on meaningful tasks while you conduct small-group instruction.

Making Phonics Small Groups Instruction Work in Your Classroom

Differentiated, skill-based phonics small groups is not just an add-on; it’s an essential part of equity in education. By tailoring Tier 1 instruction to meet individual students’ needs, we enhance opportunities for all learners, regardless of starting point.

Dr. Stollar explains, “When we differentiate Tier 1 instruction, we support the primary prevention of reading failure.” This approach ensures we meet students where they are—not teaching above their level or re-teaching skills they’ve already mastered.

Steps to Implementation

1. Analyze Screening Data: Review universal screeners to identify students’ performance ranges. Use diagnostic tests to group students based on targeted skills.
2. Flexible ELA Scheduling: Schedule your ELA block strategically, allowing staff members to provide additional support by pushing into classrooms to assist small-group sessions.
3. Create Skill-Based Groups: Form groups according to assessed needs, ensuring focused and differentiated instruction.
4. Track Progress: Regularly monitor progress and reassign groups as needed, fostering growth and continuous improvement.

Final Thoughts

Using fun and effective phonics activities in small groups can make focusing on literacy impactful and enjoyable for your students. These strategies align with the Science of Reading and promote better reading outcomes for all learners. Whether your focus is on fluency, comprehension, or word recognition, small groups can provide the individualized support your students need.

Explore additional resources like Smart and Special Teaching and their Science of Reading-aligned materials to simplify your reading instruction planning. With the right tools and strategies, you can create a classroom environment where every student has the opportunity to thrive.

Stay tuned for our next post, where we’ll explore practical examples of implementing differentiated small-group instruction in your classroom! Download a sample game for your small groups below.